Rio Chama

Plein air Rio Chama, NM
I am grateful: to my students for working so hard and encouraging each other, to Ghost Ranch, and mostly to my family for all the support behind the scenes.

Petrichor – the smell of rain

Petrichor is the term coined by Australian scientists in 1964 to describe the unique, earthy smell associated with rain. It is caused by the water from the rain, along with certain compounds like ozone, geosmin, and plant oils.

En plein air. Padernal in the rain
The smell of the high desert after the rain is my favorite smell in the world.

Hot, Salt Cedar

Rio Chama valley, NM plein air
8”x10” pastel on sanded paper
My students are amazing artist and total troopers. It was sooooo hot today. I told them when I get hot, you can see it in the colors of my art. Case in point.